Mint - Mentha

Soothing to the stomach

Hailing from the Lamiaceae family, virtually all types of mint thrive in the humid climes of the northern hemisphere’s temperate regions. These aromatic, herbaceous perennials produce subterranean runners or rhizomes and typically feature simple or branched trichomes. Their leaves grow opposite to one another and are serrated around the edge. While botanists differentiate between numerous types of mint, those most commonly found in domestic herb gardens and include peppermint, Moroccan mint, and nana mint. The mere mention of the plant’s lush green leaves is enough to send its unmistakable scent wafting into one’s nose. Infusions of fresh or dried mint are used to unlock its curative properties and alleviate an array of ailments (or simply to enjoy its flavour). Mint can work miracles, particularly for those contending with digestive issues. Thanks to its high menthol content, it can also be used as an inhalant in dealing with respiratory illnesses. In fact, legend has it that at the first sign of a cold, the Monkey’s original minder – Montgomery Collins – went mint-picking in his home garden in order to make a soothing extraction. Just remember to wait until your plants are about to flower before harvesting your own!

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Encycl. Botanica | July 18, 2017

Almond - Prunus dulcis

Health food, in a nutshell

As the term suggests, Prunus dulcis – more commonly known as the almond tree – belongs to the Prunus genus, which itself is part of the Rosaceae family. The tree’s edible seedling (or stone fruit) is the almond, which is scientifically proven to have a beneficial effect on the human body: Rich in vitamins B and E; minerals like calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc; and vegetable proteins and fibre, almonds are very h...

Allspice - Pimenta Dioica

A plant from the New World

Allspice refers to the berries of the evergreen pimenta dioica tree, a type of plant of the myrtle family, and is native to a group of islands in the Caribbean called the Antilles. This explains why allspice is also commonly called "Jamaica pepper". Discovered by the same explorer who founded America, the spice can be regarded as a plant from the New World. The discoverer in question was, ...

Cloves - Syzygium aromaticum

The Monkey in the punch pot

Cloves are the dried buds of the clove tree, which belongs to the Myrtaceae family. With a height of up to ten meters, this evergreen tree is native to the Molucca Islands (a group of islands in Indonesia also known as the Spice Islands), but today it can be found across the globe. The buds, which resemble small nails, are known for their strong aroma and equally strong flavor. Though ...

Licorice Glycyrrhiza

The sweet-talking Monkey

Licorice root, or “sweet wood” (Süßholz) as it is called in German, is known not only for its medicinal properties, but also for its sweetness. In fact the German term for sweet-talking (Süßholz raspeln) translates literally as grating licorice root. While he was working on perfecting his unique recipe, Montgomery Collins – the forefather of Monkey 47 – could hardly have known that licorice would be selected as the medicinal plant of the year ...

Ginger - Zingiber Officinale

The Monkey and his magic root

A member of the ginger family, root ginger is a monocotyledonous plant whose rootstock, or “rhizome”, is used as both a spice and a type of medicine. Indigenous to the tropics and subtropics, zingiber officinale is cultivated in countries such as Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Japan and China and, as a herbaceous plant, grows up to a metre high. The yellow-and-brown rhizome, which is extensively branched and grows underground, ...

Honey Pomelo - Pomelo

The tangy citrus fruit and the Monkey

If you’re looking for the perfect mix of sweet and bitter, keep reading. A cross between the pomelo and the grapefruit, the honey pomelo combines both distinctive flavors. Though native to Asia, it first entered the market in Israel in the 70s as the result of a backcross, which is also how it came to Germany. The evergreen tree grows up to 15 meters tall and thrives in a ...

Blackberry - Rubus fructicosus

A basket full of joy

The humble blackberry comes into its own as the subject of a lovely old German folk song, which we’ve made a feeble attempt at translating here: “A basketful, what’s the use? A hand will surely do; In my father’s garden, Yes, the blackberry garden, There’s enough for me and you!” Lucky are they who can count this beautiful Rosaceae family member and its delectable fruit among the highligh...

True Sage - Salvia Officinalis

A true panacea for Monkeys

Also known as garden sage, kitchen sage or common sage, this evergreen herb with medicinal properties is a subshrub of the genus Salvia and can reach a height of up to 80 centimeters. The strong, aromatic odor is characteristic of all parts of the plant, which are covered in wooly hairs that are especially thick near the crown. It is these hairs that give the plant’s rugose leaves their ...

Rose Hip - Rosa Canina

The crimson-red pod!

Sung about in countless children’s songs, the rose hip is an aggregate fruit comprising different types of rose (from which wild roses primarily take their name) and contains many small nuts, the fluffy hairs of which have often provided the basis of practical jokes – in a similar way to itching powder. However, the rose hip is also rich in vitamins, containing over 10 times as much vitamin C as the same...

Elderberry - Sambucus

The subtle scent of the elder

The elderflower, a member of the Adoxaceae family, is perhaps best known in the form of the black elderberry. While people in northern Germany call it the Fliederbeerenbusch (or just Flieder for short), parts of Bavaria and Austria refer to Sambucus as Holler – much closer to Holder, as the species is known in the Monkey’s Black Forest habitat. Ranging between one and 15 metres in height, these typically woody half-shrubs, shru...

English Hawthorn - Crataegus laevigata

The thorny, deciduous bushes known as English hawthorns are a pomaceous fruit that prefers a temperate climate. At home among forests and chaparral, this member of the rose family is also found in our European regions, where it can grow up to several meters high and live as long as 500 years. Commonly known as mayflower, woodland hawthorn or midland hawthorn, the Crataegus produces tartly sweet (though mealy) pomes that can ...

Orange - Citrus Sinensis

The Monkey kisses the orange

The orange, or the apple from China as the German term “Apfelsine” suggests, is a member of the citrus genus. A cross between the mandarin and the pomelo, this orange-colored fruit originated in China or Southeast Asia and found its way to Europe in the 15th century (where it was initially cultivated almost exclusively in Portugal). Today the sweet orange has become the most widely grown citrus fruit ...

Acacia Flowers - Acacia verticillata

Natural Soul Kitchen

Acacias, which belong to the legume family of plants and comprise some 1,300 species, are found in the subtropical regions of South America, Asia, Africa and Australia. They should not be confused with false acacias, which belong to the Robinia genus. Their yellow buds blossom between April and May and shape the landscape of the savannahs, deserts and semideserts. Reaching up to 15 metres in height, acacias can live for up to 200 ...

Jasmine – Jasminum Officinale

A fragrance called Jasmine

A sprawling, deciduous shrub with vines that can climb up to ten metres, jasmine belongs to the olive family Oleaceae. Its delicate, white, sweetly scented flowers bloom from June to September and are held on pedicels whose oval berries turn dark-red when ripe, and later purple. The long, thin shoots have small, dark-green pinnate leaflets, interspersed with star-shaped flowers that are loosely clustered in umbels. Native to the tropical regions ...